A Company with Soul (and Soles)

CBS News science and technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg traveled to Ethiopia with TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie, seen here, to donate shoes as part of the company's "one for one" program - for each pair of shoes bought, TOMS gives a pair to a child in need. Mycoskie was interviewed multiple times throughout the trip. Keep clicking for Sieberg's photos and commentary.

Credit: CBS/Daniel Sieberg

Driving on the roads to get to Soddo, Ethiopia, meant avoiding everything from cattle to goats to donkeys to camels to pedestrians.

Credit: CBS/Daniel Sieberg

An Ethiopian woman peeks from behind her gate. Many people weren't sure what to make of us - especially our cameras.

Credit: CBS/Daniel Sieberg

Along the way we met many Ethiopian children. They would often yell, "You! You!" to get our attention and sometimes ask for money. But other times they simply wanted to look at the camera, shake our hand or share their knowledge of English. Despite the widespread poverty, smiles were not in short supply.

Credit: CBS/Daniel Sieberg

The TOMS Shoes people often target children in Ethiopia since they're working to combat a disease called podoconiosis that comes from prolonged exposure to volcanic ash in the soil. There's a chance it's genetic.

Credit: CBS/Daniel Sieberg

A medical clinic worker gets information from the people who were selected for shoes. The people waiting in line were very orderly - until word got out in the town about free shoes and some villagers actually broke down the gates.

Credit: CBS/Daniel Sieberg

TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie fits a child for some shoes. The company used to give away the same types of shoes people were buying online, but then decided that more practical shoes would be better.

Credit: CBS/Daniel Sieberg

A father and child are ecstatic about new shoes.

Credit: CBS/Daniel Sieberg

The shoes come in all sizes - even for really little feet.

Credit: CBS/Daniel Sieberg

Mycoskie has personally attended many of the "shoe drops," including ones in New Orleans, Argentina and South Africa.

Credit: CBS/Daniel Sieberg

These women have podoconiosis. Ethiopia is a country that's really driven by agriculture so many people spend hours every day working the fields and soil. That means increased exposure to the volcanic ash that causes podoconiosis.

Credit: CBS/Daniel Sieberg

Besides the obvious discomfort, podoconiosis comes with a major stigma, and many people who suffer from it have to leave school or have difficulty finding work or a marriage partner. In addition to receiving better shoes, the people with the disease are taught how to properly wash their feet and keep them cleaner. Education is key.

Credit: CBS/Daniel Sieberg

The countryside near Soddo, Ethiopia, was often very lush, green and mountainous.

Credit: CBS/Daniel Sieberg

Blake Mycoskie takes a break from the "shoe drop" to pose for a photograph. He has hinted that the "one for one" modem of TOMS Shoes (people buy a pair, a pair gets donated) could be applied to future products offered by the company.

Credit: CBS/Daniel Sieberg

An example of a man working in the fields in Ethiopia, a back-breaking job clearing huge patches of wheat with a small scythe.